Lowell Lemon
2500 Club Member
I used to manufacturer/fabricate acrylic tanks filters and stands. I also sold light systems, skimmers, and water top off systems that we fabricated in house. The reason I no longer do this is because most of you have no idea about the cost of overhead. Yeah, the cost of parts might be cheap but then who is going to turn that into a finished product? Payroll and the company matched taxes, insurance, rent or purchase of a building, licenses, permits, property tax on all the equipment you already purchased and paid sales taxes on, software licenses, payroll subscriptions, repair of broken tools, replacement tooling for saws and routers, shipping expense and packaging, legal and accounting services, warehousing and taxes on inventory, and a list that continues on! Then you add to that the limited market for aquarium products regionally or nationally. Then you figure the true cost per unit sold and add enough profit to survive until next year. Then come here and tell me about unfair prices. There is a reason why I could no longer support my aquarium fabrication business and had to switch industries. My only complaint is I waited to long to smell the coffee and take care of my employees and family first. I bootstraped my business for more years than I can remember with no renumeration for myself or family. I will never do that again. Hobbies are terrible business models period.
Now let's talk about the cost of shelter, food and gas prices and why they are so high....
Now let's talk about the cost of shelter, food and gas prices and why they are so high....
